"Written by direction of the Honorable John Forsyth, Secretary of State of the United States, and published by the order of the Senate, on motion of the Honorable L. P. Linn, Chairman of the Select Committee on the Oregon Territory." -- title page.

"(At head of title: [U.S.]. 26th Cong. 1st Sess. Senate. [Doc.] 174). Written by direction of the Secretary of State, ref. Pref. Deals with the early voyages to the northwest coast. Later expanded into his History of Oregon and California (no.234)."-- Strathern, G. M., & Edwards, M. H. (1970). Navigations, traffiques & discoveries, 1774-1848: A guide to publications relating to the area now British Columbia. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, p. 121